When Enemies Align
by Ghostwriter
Summary: Being a teenager can be hard, even WITHOUT having to save the world on a daily basis.  But for one Ranger, things are going to get even more complicated.
1. Chapter 1

WHEN ENEMIES ALIGN

AUTHOR'S NOTE/DISCLAIMER

Yeah, so I've read fics where Tommy finds out that he's Zedd's son, Jason goes ballistic, and Zordon's basically a jerk. Well, I thought I'd write my own fic. However, Zedd's son isn't Tommy. Power Rangers belongs to Haim Saban and Nickelodeon. I only own the plot and characters you don't recognize. Some things will be confusing, but will be explained throughout the story. Bulk of story takes place after "Two For One". I know the timeline seems a bit off, but I'll explain it.

16000 YEARS AGO

The being carefully clutched the child to its chest, its medallion poking into him. This would show Zedd not to cross him again. The baby whimpered and the creature shushed him. It would do him no good to be caught. Hearing voices, he scurried away to his ship. There was some chatter from the evil alliance and he quickened his pace.

"STOP HIM! HE HAS MY SON!" At Zedd's bellow, Zordon and his opponent stopped what they were doing and turned around.

"Look! There he is!" The two gave chase. Yes, Zordon and Zedd were mortal enemies, but Zordon would never steal a child and he wouldn't let someone else do it either. The thing turned around, conjured a sword with its mind, and then blasted them. They fell to the ground with a groan. Zordon painfully got up and pulling out his own sword, charged at the thing. As they fought, Zordon was unaware that Zedd was watching them in shock. He had no idea that his declaration would have **this** result. Shaking off his surprise, Zedd teleported himself into the battle just in time to stop Zordon's opponent from striking him down. Now it was Zordon's turn to stare in surprise.

"Give me back my son and I'll let you live," Zedd growled. The creature knocked the two of them down.

"This is what happens when you cross me, Zedd. Your son is gone," the thing sneered, and with a booming laugh, got into its ship, and disappeared.

1993

Zordon stared at the five teens as they gazed at him with some trepidation.

"So, who are you?" the boy in red asked calmly.

"Like, **what** are you?" the girl in pink demanded.

"I am Zordon. An interdimensional being trapped in a time warp," Zordon answered. As he and Alpha explained the situation, he noticed an aura of power from the teen in red. What was it? And why did it feel so familiar? Zordon made a mental note to have Alpha run a check on him and then watched in concern as the boy and his friends walked out of the Command Center.

"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi. That didn't go very well, now did it?" Alpha asked. Zordon said nothing, but frowned thoughtfully. There was something familiar about the boy in red, but he just couldn't figure out what it was. And he just knew it was going to disturb him until he figured out what it was. As they walked away, Jason had a sinking feeling as they walked away from the strange place. He didn't know why, but he was getting the feeling that they had all just made a terrible mistake.


	2. Chapter 2

AUTHOR'S NOTE/DISCLAIMER

Now takes place in the second season of MMPR after the episode "Two For One". Power Rangers belongs to Haim Saban and Nickelodeon. I only own the plot and characters you don't recognize. I'm not sure what planet Zedd was from, so I'm making something up.

1994

Jason sighed as he sat on the Command Center's medical chair as Alpha scanned his body with a small metal stick.

"Zordon, what's happening to me? Why am I the only one getting these Power surges when I morph?" he wondered.

"I am uncertain, Jason," Zordon replied curtly.

"Zordon, what aren't you telling me?" Jason asked.

"Red Ranger, you must trust my judgment," Zordon insisted. The truth was, he still wasn't sure he was correct in his assumptions and he didn't want to alarm the boy unnecessarily. Jason angrily fingered the small medallion necklace he recently taken to wearing. For some reason, this action always seemed to calm him down. He had found it in his dad's study shortly after the Golden Pipe Tournament and was unexplainably drawn to it, although he secretly joked that the only reason he liked it was because it was a rustic red.

"I-I do, Zordon. I mean, if I didn't, I wouldn't have agreed to step down as leader, but-" Jason began to say.

"You're scared," Alpha finished.

"Yeah," Jason admitted. And he didn't like that feeling. He just wanted to know what was going on. What if he was dying? What if the Power was killing him? But if that was the case, why wasn't it affecting the others, and why wouldn't Zordon tell him? The boy mentally shook off these morbid thoughts. He wasn't dying. It was probably just a glitch in the Morphing Grid. Alpha would find it and fix it soon enough and then everything would go back to normal. Alpha glanced at Jason, but said nothing. If his and Zordon's suspicions were correct, the Red Ranger was going through the Kevlan growth spurt. And if that was the case…that meant that they had proof that Jason was indeed Zedd's kidnapped son. _Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi! If we're right, this could get complicated!_ the robot thought to himself.

"So, can I go now?" Jason asked.

"Of course," Alpha responded. The boy teleported out. Meanwhile, on the moon, Zedd sat on his throne, deep in thought. In his hands was a rustic red medallion, which matched the one he had given his son Jaytrax all those years ago. Though naturally dull in color, it shone bright red when members of his family used their powers, something that it had done sporadically over the past few weeks. _Does this mean that my son is still alive? _ _And if so, where is he?_ he wondered. Maybe he should put in a call to Zordon. Though the two were generally enemies, he had spent eons helping Zedd search for his kidnapped child, something that surprised and pleased him. Then again, Zedd supposed that the only reason Zordon was helping him was that the kidnapping had gone against his principles and that he felt guilty for not stopping the creature that had taken the boy. Out of boredom, he directed his attention to Earth. He humphed a little when he saw the Red Ranger. He watched as the boy rubbed his head, obviously in pain.

"Aw…not feeling well, Red Ranger?" he sneered. "Well, then, you'll **really** hate my Putties!" With that, he energized the creatures and sent them down. Jason looked around nervously.

"Oh, man. Just what I **didn**'**t** need," he griped. However, he got into a karate stance and began to fight. "Zordon, I need-" A well-placed kick cut off his cry off help. The Putties surrounded him. Two grabbed him and one punched him in the stomach. He groaned as the punch came again. Then, they disappeared. Moments later, they rematerialized in Zedd's chambers. Jason struggled against the hold as the monarch approached. _What does he want with me?_ he wondered. Zedd chuckled.

"So Red Ranger, it would appear-" his words trailed off as his gaze zeroed in on a rustic medallion. "Where did you get this?" he snarled, grabbing the necklace.

"It's mine. What do you care?" the Red Ranger spat out, jerking away.

"Putties, leave us." The creatures released the Ranger who fell to the ground. Zedd hauled him to his feet. Jason stared in surprise and confusion. _What the heck is going on here?_ he wondered. Zedd showed him his own medallion.

"Wha-?" Jason stared at him in shock.


	3. Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER

Power Rangers belongs to Haim Saban and Nickelodeon. From here on out, there will be some slight language and Jason's relationship with his parents is definitely AU.

"What is this supposed to mean?" Jason questioned, jerking back.

"All right, look, I understand this is most likely confusing, and-" Zedd began.

"Shut it! There's no way I'm letting you inside my head!" Jason interrupted.

"Jason, there's a reason why we both have the same medallion. You need to listen to me," Zedd stated earnestly. He couldn't believe that he was practically begging the Red Ranger to listen to him, but he was his son. He had spent centuries looking for him and to be this close to him. Jason stared in confusion at the tone. _He's lost it. Not that he was sane before, but he's absolutely lost it_, he thought to himself. Then, before the monarch could make a move, the Red Ranger teleported himself out. Then, looking at his watch, his eyes widened. _Oh, crap! I'm __**so**__ going to get it!_ he thought to himself and quickened his pace in the direction of his house. When he finally got home, he quietly opened the door and stepped through the threshold.

"You're late," a voice said. He froze.

"Yes, Sir," he acknowledged. His father, Rick Scott, stepped into view.

"What do you have to say for yourself, boy?" he demanded, stepping closer.

"I'm sorry. I stopped to talk to a friend," he apologized. The man reached out and slapped him across the face. Jason stumbled back, but caught himself. It had taken everything in him not to block the strike. If he had, it would've just made the man even madder.

"You know the rules! Come straight home!" he roared.

"Yes, Sir. I'm sorry," he said. The man slapped him again, this time knocking him to the ground.

"I don't know why I put up with you! You ungrateful, little-" the sentence trailed off as the man kicked his son. Jason gritted his teeth and winced in pain as he was kicked repeatedly. _Okay, okay. Don't-don't focus on the pain_, he reminded himself. He just-he just had to focus on something else. A kick to the ribs broke through his reverie. He moaned. _Think. Don't focus on the pain_, he coached himself. He let an image of him as the Red Ranger fighting Goldar fill his mind. There was a kick and Jason quickly summoned up the image of him welcoming Tommy back as the Green Ranger. As he focused on his Ranger duties, his father's screaming faded. _The Megazord destroyed the Slippery Shark. The Thundermegazord destroyed the Robo Goat._

"Pay attention!" Jason moaned as his reverie was broken.

"Please. Please, stop," he begged.

"You're useless! Pathetic!" He cried out in pain as he felt a rib crack. Then, the man walked away. Jason painfully rose to his knees. _Man, what am I supposed to do?_ he wondered. He couldn't fight back. It just made things worse. Then, he painfully rose to his feet. Then, his communicator went off.

"Jason, our scanners indicated a disturbance at your residence. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's okay, Zordon." He blew out a breath and raked his hair with his hands. What was he going to do? It wasn't like anybody would believe him. They all thought that he had a great relationship with his father. He winced as he finished standing up. He was unaware that Zedd had seen everything from his palace. His eyes narrowed. _Oh, Red Ranger. You're going to take that from him?_ he thought in surprise. That didn't seem like the Ranger he was used to fighting. And if he really was his son…he certainly wasn't going to let the abuse continue. In the Command Center, Alpha was running some data in the computer.

"Have you made any progress, Alpha?"

"No. Although, we won't know for sure if our suspicions are correct until we have a DNA sample from Zedd as well as the sample we've taken from Jason's other battles."

"Contact him at once."

"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi! The Rangers would never believe this!" Alpha pressed a button and on the moon, Zedd became aware of a buzzing in his Chamber Of Command. _Who's calling me?_ he wondered. He entered the chambers and answered the summons.

"Yes?"

"Hello, Zedd." The monarch straightened up.

"Zordon."


	4. Chapter 4

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

May1331 (Ch 2): Thanks. Here's more.

Jeremy Shane: Thanks, here's more.

DISCLAIMER

Power Rangers belongs to Haim Saban and Nickelodeon. I only own the plot.

"Well, well, well. What can I do for you?" Zedd questioned.

"We believe we may have found your son, Jaytrax, but we need your DNA to prove it," Zordon told him.

"The Red Ranger," Zedd surmised. "He **is** my son. There is no need for the DNA," he continued.

"You know for sure?" Zordon asked.

"He has the same medallion I gave Jaytrax," Zedd replied.

"Yes, I've seen him wearing it," Zordon mused.

"Do you think you could talk to him? I tried, but…it didn't go exactly as I planned," Zedd said.

"Of course," Zordon agreed.

"Oh, and when you do, ask him about what's going on at home. Things are a little tense," Zedd stated. Zordon frowned.

"What are you talking about?"

"You don't know?"

"No. Soon after joining the team, he requested that we not peer into his residence via the viewing globe and we have respected his wishes." Zedd nodded. Of course a goody-good would react that way. However, he wisely kept his mouth shut.

"Is there any more I can do?"

"Not at this moment. We will talk to him." Zedd cut the transmission. _So, I guess I just have to wait_, he thought to himself as he walked out to the common area.

"Sire, the Red Ranger is in his home all alone, and will be easy to destroy," Goldar reported, waving his sword.

"**You** will not lay one finger on him, Goldar. And if I learn that you or another one of my underlings have done anything to him, I will clip your wings and throw you in the trash like I did Rita," Zedd growled, turning towards him menacingly. Goldar blinked in surprise.

"Sire, are you feeling all right?" he asked in concern. He had to be sick or something if he wasn't ordering an attack.

"I'm fine, Goldar. This just isn't the right time for action," Zedd replied.

"You have a plan, Sire?"

"Precisely. And if I move too soon, I'll tip my hand." He turned from the monkey and turned his gaze on Earth and at Jason's house, where he had started doing his homework. The evil overlord frowned. What was going on with him? Goldar looked at his master with narrowed eyes. Something wasn't right here. Since when didn't he take advantage of an opportunity to destroy the Rangers? _I guess I'll have to do a little reconnaissance_, he thought to himself. Then, he disappeared from the palace. On Earth, Jason was going over his math homework. His eyes narrowed in confusion at the problem and he ran his fingers through his hair. Then, he blew out a breath and put the book down. Maybe he just needed a change in subjects. He grabbed his history book and started reading. After he was done, he went back to the Math. _Ah, now I see_, he thought, and then finished the assignment. Suddenly, there was a blast!


	5. Chapter 5

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Jeremy Shane: Thanks. Here's more.

DISCLAIMER

Power Rangers belongs to Haim Saban and Nickelodeon. I only own the plot.

Jason jumped up and ran into the living room. To his surprise, Goldar was in his living room. _You've got to be kidding me_, he thought to himself. With a roar, the monkey lunged at him, knocking him down. Jason then flipped the creature of his shoulders and jumped back to his feet. Part of him expected his dad to come in and yell at him for the noise, but given the time of day it was, the man had most likely had had his two bottles of booze and had passed out. Goldar summoned his sword.

"Prepare to die, Red Ranger," he sneered. Jason pulled out his Morpher and quickly and quietly morphed into the Red Ranger. Then, he brought out his Power Sword and the two weapons clanged against each other. Goldar's eyes narrowed as he fought the Red Ranger. He couldn't **wait** to destroy him. For as soon as he did, Zedd would see that he was worthy to reign by his side after conquering Earth. He struck the Red Ranger in the chest and then threw him across the room. The Red Ranger grunted as he hit the wall, resulting in the suit leaving his body. _Yes! He's at my mercy!_ Goldar thought gleefully. Jason's breathing hitched as Goldar approached him, sword raised. The footsteps were heavy and slow. _Man, I hope Mom doesn't come home early_, he thought to himself. There'd be no way to explain this. Plus, she would try to protect him and just end up getting killed. Goldar laughed as he continued advancing. Jason looked around; desperately trying to find something he could use to fend off the griffin's attack. In the Command Center, the alarm blared shrilly.

"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi!" Alpha exclaimed.

"Alpha, where is the attack taking place?" Zordon queried.

"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi-! I have no picture, which means the attack's at Jason's house!"

"Contact the other Rangers at once." Alpha did so.

"What's up, Alpha?"

"Tommy, there's an attack at Jason's house. You must go to his aid."

"Don't worry, Alpha. We're on it." The Rangers morphed and teleported to Jason's house. The White Ranger grabbed Goldar and yanked him back. Goldar roared and lunged at him. On the moon, Zedd's eyes blazed with fury when he saw the scene.

"GOLDAR! GET BACK HERE IMMEDIATELY YOU WORTHLESS MINION!" he roared. Goldar froze when he heard the summons. The White Ranger grinned, though it couldn't be seen.

"Sounds like you're being called," he taunted. With a growl, Goldar let out one more blast from his sword before disappearing.

"Jason!" The other Rangers turned to him in concern.

"You okay, Bro?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." He slowly stood up. Then, he heard a door opening and his eyes widened.

"You guys gotta go! You gotta go **now**!"

"But-"

"Just please! Go!" Reluctantly, the others did as they were bidden. Jason whirled around as his father came into the living room.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING!" Jason was shoved back and stumbled for a bit before catching himself. "WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT WAKING ME UP!"

"Dad, I'm sorry! I was attacked by this strange creature! The Power Rangers showed up." Rick punched Jason in the stomach, causing the boy to double up.

"Shed…**now**."

"No! Dad, please! No!" He struggled against the man who dragged him outside. On the moon, Zedd was doing some yelling of his own.

"I SPECIFICALLY TOLD YOU **NOT** TO ENGAGE THE RED RANGER!" he shouted, zapping him with his staff.

"Sire, it was the perfect opportunity and I managed to hurt him before his friends showed up," Goldar said, trying to earn his master's favor. However, this just proved to be the wrong thing to say. When Zedd was finally done punishing Goldar, he dismissed him with a wave of his hand. Back on Earth, Rick had finished dragging Jason to the shed. The man opened the door and threw him in. Then, he stepped inside. Jason scrambled to his feet and backed away. His retreat was stalled when his back hit the wall.

"Please. Please, Dad. Please, no."

"You brought this on yourself, boy."

"Please? Please, Dad. I'll-I'll do anything. Just please…not again." The boy's pleas went unheeded and the man put his hands on his son's jeans and unbuttoned them. Then, he unbuttoned his own jeans and pressed against the boy. Jason's face twisted in pain as he felt the hard jolt. Then, with tears streaming down his face, he went limp as his father's hands and lips were once again covering every inch of his body.


	6. Chapter 6

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

May1331 (Ch 3, 5): Yeah. Yep. Thanks. Well, keep reading.

Jeremy Shane: Thanks, here's more. Yes, he does. But not quite yet.

Kellybird: Thanks. Yeah, I know. We'll see. Here's more.

Lavendermystic: Thanks, I'm glad you think so. Hope this is soon enough. You'll see soon enough.

DISCLAIMER

Power Rangers belongs to Haim Saban and Nickelodeon. I only own the plot.

A few hours later, Mr. Scott pulled away from his son.

"Remember: not one word to your mother," he warned. Jason nodded silently. His tears had long since stopped.

"I know," he said lowly. Rick smirked as he let a hand caress Jason's face. Jason let out a labored breath. The man put a finger to his son's lips and then walked away. Something wet touched his eyes and he swiped away his tears. He couldn't let his mother find out. Dad would kill her. Jason waited until he had properly composed himself before walking back into the house.

"Hi, Jason. How was your day today?" his mother, Helen Scott, queried.

"It was okay. School was tough," he replied.

"I'm sorry to hear that, honey," she said.

"It's no biggie," he shrugged. The woman looked at her son.

"Sweetie, are you sure you're all right? You look a little pale," she noted.

"I'm uh-I'm a little tired. I'm gonna take a nap before dinner," he responded.

"All right," she said. He went to his room as she watched him in concern. Something was wrong. She could feel it. Jason had been acting very oddly for some time now, but she couldn't figure out why. She glanced at her husband, and then went into the kitchen to prepare dinner. As she got out the ingredients for what she wanted to make, Rick came up behind Helen and wrapped her in a hug.

"Hey, Baby. How was your day?" he queried, kissing her neck. She laughed.

"It was good. How was yours?" she responded.

"Mmm. It was **very** good," he answered. She turned around.

"Rick, have you noticed anything strange going on with Jason?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" he wondered.

"Well, I've noticed for a long time now that he's been tense…even moody," she answered.

"It's probably just some stupid teen thing. I'm sure he's fine and it'll blow over," he assured.

"I don't know, Rick. This doesn't seem like a teen thing. I think there might be something seriously wrong," she pressed. He slammed a hand down on the table.

"I said it was nothing! Don't you press this!" he yelled.

"Hey, don't you yell at me! I'm only showing a little concern for our son!" she angrily told him. His eyes narrowed suspiciously. Had Jason broken his word? Had he let something slip to his mother? She blew out a breath.

"Let's not fight. Just…keep an eye on him, will you? He's close to you, maybe he'd tell you something he wouldn't tell me," she said.

"Of course, Sweetie. And I'm sorry I yelled," he apologized. Jason hadn't broken his word. Helen was just being a good mother. It was what he loved about her. However, he couldn't let her find about him and Jason. She'd only get the wrong idea. He left the kitchen and went into the family room, sat in his chair, and turned on the t.v. In his room, Jason hadn't been able to get to sleep and was tossing and turning on his bed. _What am I going to do? I can't continue like this, but short of using my powers on him, there's nothing I can do_, he thought. No one would believe him if he told. All of his friends knew his father, and there was no way they would see the truth. He sighed and then reached into his drawer, where his Morpher was and took the object in his hand, turning it over. If only he could use the power when his dad started in on him. But he couldn't. He couldn't use his powers for personal gain. He sighed and put the Morpher back in the drawer and closed it with a sigh. _Face it, man. The only way you're leaving is if you die or run away_, he told himself. And he'd never run away. It'd hurt his mother too much. He blew out another breath. Two hours later, dinner was ready and the boy came out to help set the table. Then, they all sat down and began eating. During the meal, they all talked and laughed. Helen kept an eye on Jason, trying to determine what was going on with her son. Yes, he was acting as if nothing was wrong, but she knew her son. And for some reason, he was very tense. She waited until after dinner and her husband went into the living room.

"Jason, what's going on?" she asked softly.

"Nothing, Mom. I told you: school was tough. Plus, it was a long day," he replied.

"Jason, you know that you can tell me anything, right? Whatever's going on, I'm here for you," she told him. He laughed nervously.

"Yeah, of course," he responded. "But Mom, nothing's going on," he continued.

"Honey, are you sure?" she asked, cupping his cheek in her hand. Jason closed his eyes. Oh, he wanted to tell her. He wanted everything to stop. He let out a labored breath. _Rick loomed over Jason._

"_One word to your mother-about __**any**__ of this-and I'll kill her. And then __**you**__," he threatened. Thirteen-year old Jason nodded in obedience. _Jason let out a sigh.

"Yeah, I'm sure, Mom," he replied. Then, "I got homework." With that, he walked out of the room and to his own room. Once there, he closed the door and sank to the floor and ran his fingers through his hair. What was he going to do? He was a Power Ranger. He was supposed to have all of the answers. But he couldn't even stop his own father. He blew out a breath. _I'm sorry, Mom. But I can't tell you the truth. He'd kill us both_, he thought to himself. Then, he heard heavy footsteps and jumped to his feet. _Homework, homework. Where's my homework?_ he wondered as he frantically looked through his room. Seeing his red backpack, he grabbed it and grabbed his science book and opened it to the current chapter as he sat at his desk. The door opened to reveal his father.

"So you really **are** studying," the man sneered, as he stepped inside the room.

"Yes, Sir," he responded. He didn't bother telling him that it didn't matter since he had finished most of it at school. The man sniffed derisively.

"Good," he approved as he continued to advance.

"Dad, is there something you want? Cause I-I really need to study," Jason stammered. He started to get up, but his father forced him to sit back down. "Dad, come on!" The protest only earned him a smack on the side of the head. "Dad, I'm trying to study." The next thing Jason knew, he had been knocked to the floor.

"Dad, Dad, wait. I'm sorry!" he exclaimed, curling into a ball as his father began kicking him. _Please, please, no_, he thought to himself. He gritted his teeth, determined not to give his father the satisfaction of crying out. Rick pulled Jason to his feet and then punched him in the stomach. He grunted and doubled up.

"Oh, come on, boy. What's the matter? Can't take a little pain? Isn't that what they teach you in karate? How to take pain?" He punched the boy in the stomach again and he cried out in pain. Then, the man threw him across the room. He groaned as his back hit the wall.

"Damn. You're pathetic, boy." He groaned again. He had just managed to rise to rise to his knees when his father grabbed him. "You remember: you're only good for two things." Jason flinched as the man pulled him close and then kissed him roughly on the lips. Then, he threw him back down. "That's one." He kicked him. "And that's two." He kicked him and then left the room. Jason let out a shaky breath as he stood up. Then, with a soft cry of rage, he knocked his karate trophies off of his dresser.

"STOP! I JUST WANT IT TO STOP!" he exclaimed in a choked voice. He had to-he had to put a stop to this-to everything. But how was he going to do that without putting his mom at risk? He let out another shaky breath and then sank to floor, sobbing.


	7. Chapter 7

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Kellybird: Thanks. Keep reading. Yeah, I can't believe I'm doing this to Jason either. We'll see.

Jeremy Shane: Thanks, here's more.

May1331: Yeah, me too, and **I**'**m** the one writin' it. We'll see. Thanks.

Lavendermystic: Yeah. We'll see. Those are interesting ideas. Sorry this isn't soon enough.

DISCLAIMER

Power Rangers belongs to Haim Saban and Nickelodeon. I only own the plot. I don't profess to have extensive medical knowledge, but I'm assuming that a cracked rib would be painful, especially if it's left untreated. Again, they never explained what kind of powers Zedd had supposed to have, so I'm making some stuff up.

Jason wasn't sure when he had fallen asleep, but the next thing he knew his alarm was ringing. He moaned and rubbed his neck. _Man, what a crick_, he thought to himself. That was gonna hurt like a bear. He rolled his neck and shoulders until the kinks were out of his upper body. Then, he changed his clothes and went downstairs to the kitchen where he got himself a bowl of cereal. He then sat down and began eating. A few minutes later, he heard footsteps. He quickly finished his breakfast, washed his dishes, and placed them in the dishwasher. Then, as he turned around, his mother came in. Jason gave an inward sigh of relief.

"Morning, Mom," he greeted.

"Good morning, Sweetie," she said. She stared at him. "You don't look well. Did you get enough sleep?" she asked in concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I think I just slept funny," he answered. "I gotta finish getting ready," he continued and then headed back to his room, where he gathered up his things. Then, he went back downstairs.

"I'm gonna head on out early," he told her.

"Okay. Have a good day, sweetie," she responded. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and then walked out. As he drove to school, Jason gritted his teeth in pain. His cracked rib was killing him. _Man, I wish I could go to the hospital or the Command Center. But if anyone ever found out_…his thought trailed off as he continued down the road. And plus, what were the power surges that his body kept going through? And why had Zedd acted so weird when he had seen his medallion? _Man, nothing's making any sense_, he thought to himself. He let out a sigh as he finally reached Angel Grove High. He parked his car, and then walked into the school. Once inside, he headed straight for his locker. He opened the locker, opened his backpack, and started to put some textbooks in. Two of the books dropped. _Oh, terrific_, he thought to himself. He then bent down to pick them up and-searing pain coursed through his chest and dropped to his knees in pain.

"Jason!" He was immediately helped up and he found himself facing Kimberly, Zack, Trini, Billy, and Tommy.

"Bro, what's wrong?" Tommy asked in concern as Kimberly handed him his books.

"Nothing. I'm fine," Jason assured.

"Jason, you're not fine. You couldn't even bend down to get your books," Trini responded.

"Guys, I'm fine," Jason insisted, his eyes flashing from his usual hazel color to red and back to normal. They gasped.

"Jason, your eyes just turned red," Kimberly told him. _Oh, man. What's going on? Is this related to those power surges I've been experiencing?_ he wondered.

"I think we better contact Zordon," Tommy suggested.

"No, I'm-I'm sure it's nothing," Jason responded.

"Jason-" Zack began to say.

"I said 'no!" Jason yelled. His friends cried out in surprise as flames burst from his hands. Almost immediately, they were teleported.

"Zordon, what are you doing? We have school," Jason reminded.

"I apologize, Rangers. However, the current situation requires immediate attention," Zordon replied. Jason froze. Had Zordon somehow found out about the abuse? _No. He wouldn't break his promise. There's no way he could've found out. They programmed the globe to never show my house_, he thought.

"Zordon, what's happening to Jason? Is he under some kind of spell?" Kimberly wondered.

"He is not under a spell, Kimberly," Zordon assured.

"Zordon, what's happening to me?" Jason queried, barely keeping the tremor out of his voice.

"Alpha, contact Zedd at once. He must be made aware of the situation," Zordon instructed.

"Right away, Zordon," Alpha agreed.

"WHAT!" the Rangers chorused.

"Why on Earth are you telling Zedd anything?" Jason wondered.

"Yes, what could we possibly acquire by advising our enemies of our inconvenience?" Billy added. Zedd's image appeared in the globe.

"Yes, Zordon? What is it?" Zedd queried.

"Your presence is required here immediately," Zordon told him.

"WHAT!" the Rangers cried again.

"ABSOLUTELY **NOT**!" Jason insisted. _He's crazy! He's lost it!_ he thought to himself. Either that, or Zordon had turned on them all. There was a flash of light and within seconds, the evil monarch was in the Command Center. The Rangers all took stances of defense.

"Rangers, I order you to stand down," Zordon instructed. "I assure you that I have not taken leave of my senses, nor have I turned on you," he continued. Jason looked at their mentor in surprise. When had he turned into a mind reader?

"Then, why is he here?" Tommy demanded.

"For some time now, Jason has been going through some unusual power surges whenever he morphs," Zordon told him.

"Zordon!" Jason exclaimed.

"What? Are you okay?" the others asked.

"I'm fine," Jason replied.

"The surges are the first stages of what is known as the Kevlan Growth Spurt," Zordon told them.

"What are you saying? That Jason is a 'Kevlan'-whatever that is?" Tommy asked.

"Precisely, Tommy," Alpha answered.

"Okay, I'm apparently an alien. Fine," Jason accepted. "But what does that gotta do with Zedd?"

"Jason, your real name is Jaytrax...and your father-your real father-is Zedd," Zordon told him. Shocked, the Rangers went silent.


	8. Chapter 8

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Kellybird: Thanks. Hey, in Zedd's defense, he hadn't had any proof in the past that Jason was his son. We'll see, just keep reading.

Brankell: Thanks, yep.

Jeremy Shane: Thanks, here's more.

DISCLAIMER

Power Rangers belongs to Haim Saban and Nickelodeon. I only own the plot.

"WHAT?" they all finally asked as they found their voice.

"This-this is a whacked out nightmare. I'm gong to wake up any minute now," Jason mumbled to himself. There was no way he related to Zedd.

"Zordon, how could Jason be Zedd's son?" Kimberly wondered. That doesn't even make sense. _Zedd's a freak, and Jason's not_, she thought to herself.

"Sixteen thousand years ago, I was fighting Zedd's forces when I heard him shouting that his son had been taken. My opponent and I halted our quarrel and took off after the creature, but we were unable to stop it," Zordon explained. And that was something that haunted him: that he had failed in saving the boy, though his fate appeared to have turned out okay.

"Okay, now I **know** I'm dreaming because there is no way that I can be sixteen thousand years old," Jason objected. _Yeah, __**definitely**__ dreaming. Maybe Dad did something to my brain_, he thought.

"I believe you may have been hidden in a cryogenic chamber until sixteen years ago," Zordon told him. The Rangers looked at each other.

"That hypothesis has some plausible validity," Billy stated.

"Billy's right. That **does** make sense," Trini agreed.

"You guys are buying this crap?" Tommy demanded. "Look, there's no way **Jason** is related to **Zedd**!"

"Yeah, something weird's going on here," Kimberly agreed.

"Jason, you are wearing the proof of your identity around your neck," Zordon stated. Everyone turned to look at Jason's medallion.

"You're crazy. I found this in a trunk in my dad's study. It was his," Jason stated. Not that he had been interested in it. He hadn't even made a fuss about him taking it. Going into his study without permission though…that had been a whole different ballgame. He suppressed the shudder that went through him as he remembered his punishment.

"No, Red Ranger. That medallion and others like it are used among many people of my race," Zedd corrected, realizing that if he referred to the boy's natural heritage, it would only set him off as he warily watched the boy's hands which had been enflamed the entire time, though the boy seemed to be unaware of this. "They are passed on from father to son." Jason rolled his eyes. _Terrific. I go from not only having one psycho father, but two_, he thought to himself. Could his life get any worse?

"Actually, Zordon, it **is** good that you brought us here. Jason's been injured," Billy reported. Apparently it could.

"Billy," Jason growled.

"In what way?" Zordon asked.

"He seems to have been wounded in the chest. We first noted his discomfort when he tried to retrieve some books that had escaped his grasp," Billy said.

"Yeah, he doubled up in pain," Kimberly recalled.

"Kim, shut up," Jason growled.

"Red Ranger, calm down," Zedd warned as the flames flared.

"I don't take orders from you, you chrome-plated freak!" Jason yelled, turning to him. The flames grew and spread and Kimberly and Trini screamed in surprise as Zack, Billy, and Tommy quickly pulled them back. With a wave of Zedd's hand, the flames were extinguished and Jason panted in fright.

"What's going on? What's happening to me?" he questioned.

"The next stage of the Kevlan Growth Spurt involves the gaining of powers. Apparently, you have gained the use of fire," came the evil monarch's reply.

"Okay, I can't deny something's going on, but…I don't want it!" Jason shouted. "And **you** get out of the Command Center!" He went to punch Zedd, only to find himself throwing a ball of fire at Zedd, who grunted at the impact as he fell backwards. He looked at Zordon.

"Watch out for him, Zordon. He's going to need you," he said and then teleported himself back to the moon. The Rangers looked at each other.

"That was weird," Tommy commented.

"I'll say," Kimberly agreed.

"Zordon, we have to get back to school otherwise people are going to wonder where we are," Trini reminded.

"You are correct," Zordon agreed. Then, he had Alpha teleport them back to school and they all hurriedly grabbed their books and scurried to their classes.

"I don't think that went very well, Zordon," Alpha commented. In various classes, teachers frowned in displeasure when they saw the six teens coming in late. However, they didn't let it disturb their class. At lunch, they all went to the cafeteria.

"Can you believe how far gone Zordon is?" Jason asked softly.

"Yeah, I think he's been in that time warp a little too long," Tommy agreed.

"But guys, what if he's right? I mean, what if Jason **is** Zedd's long-lost son?" Trini pointed out.

"Then I resign and disappear so that he can't use me against you," Jason answered.

"Jase!" Zack exclaimed, barely remembering to keep his voice down.

"Look, there's no way I'm going to endanger this team. And if that means giving up my powers to protect you all, I'll do it," Jason continued.

"I know," Kimberly said unhappily. He would do it, too. He'd do anything to protect the Rangers. Even give it up.

"It won't come to that, Bro. I promise," Tommy stated. Jason flashed them all a brief and sad smile. _Thanks, Bro. But I don't think you can stop him_, he thought. At least with Zedd, he knew what to do. Zedd he could fight. His father, however…there was nothing he could do there. In the command Center, Alpha and Zordon frowned as they tracked the Red Ranger. Zedd and the other Rangers had been right. Something **was** going on with Jason. They could tell by the careful way the boy was moving that he had obviously been hurt.

"Alpha, can you run a diagnostic on Jason?"

"Not from here, Zordon. And I can't re-teleport him back without making anyone suspicious." They continued to watch the globe worriedly. When school was finally done, the Rangers went their separate ways. Jason had just barely set foot in the house when he was roughly grabbed by the shoulder and pinned against the wall.

"YOU SKIPPED CLASSES!" his father roared.

"N-no. Dad. It-it wasn't like that," Jason stammered. The man tightened his grip on his son's shoulders and slammed him against the wall.

"WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT LIARS IN THIS HOUSE?" he roared again over Jason's whimpers of pain.

"Rick, what do you think you're doing? Let him go!" Helen instructed, grabbing his arm.

"Stay out of this, Helen," Rick growled, turning to her.

"No, I'm not-" Her protest was cut off as he backhanded her. She stared at him shock.

"Don't you touch her!" Jason shouted, kicking him. With another growl, Rick turned back to his son.

"That's it. You're going to the shed," he told him.

"No," came the response.

"What did you just say?"

"I said 'No'. If you wanna rape me, you're gonna do it right here. I mean, you obviously no longer care if Mom catches you beating me, so why should the rape be any different?" Helen stared in shock. Rape? Rick had raped him? Rick reared back a fist and punched him in the chest, hitting the already cracked rib. He screamed in pain.

"You're gonna scream? I'll give you something to scream about." Helen charged at Rick, only to be knocked down. She groaned as her head slammed on the floor.

"Mom!" Jason tried to get past his father, only to be slammed against the wall once more.

"Don't move, boy," he snarled, pressing his body against his son's. He grunted and tried to get free, but the man outweighed him. _Somebody…please…help_, he thought to himself. Then, the man's hands were all over his body and Jason felt himself freeze. _No! Please! I can't do this again!_ he silently screamed as the man began to trail rough kisses down his neck. He blanched when his father's hands touched his zipper. Suddenly, there was a burst of blinding light. Startled, Jason cried out in surprise and fell to the ground as something rushed his father.

"Mom?" Squinting, he made his way over to the woman. "Mom?" he asked again, shaking her shoulder. She moaned.

"Jason? Jason, baby, are you all right?" He sighed in relief as he felt her arms around him.

"I'm fine, Mom. I'm so sorry. I-"

"Don't you dare apologize. None of this is your fault." She pulled him close and Jason reveled in her loving warmth. She believed him. She didn't blame him. He let out a shaky sigh as a lump appeared in his throat. There was an agonized scream and then-the blinding light dissipated to reveal Zedd towering over the lifeless body of Rick Scott.


	9. Chapter 9

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Kellybird: Thanks. I'm glad you like it. Here's another update.

Skyven: Yep. Thanks, here's more.

Lavendermystic: Thanks. Yep. That doesn't mean the drama's over though. Thanks, I'm glad you liked it. We'll see. Well, maybe. No promises. Here's more.

Brankell: Thanks.

Jeremy Shane: Thanks, here's more.

DISCLAIMER

Power Rangers belongs to Haim Saban and Nickelodeon. I only own the plot and characters you don't recognize. I'm not exactly sure what the hospital procedure for checking out an abuse victim is, so I apologize if anything's wrong.

Jason and his mother stared at the monarch in silence. Then, the Red Ranger stood in front of the woman protectively, only to have his mother pull him back so that their positions were reversed. Her eyes flashed as she glared at the being. _Protective. That's good_, Zedd thought to himself.

"What do you want?" she demanded, glaring at him.

"That's fine way to treat the person who just saved your son's life," came the response. "Were you aware of what your husband was doing to him?"

"No." Hearing the woman's voice break, Zedd reigned in his anger. There was no need to scare the woman. Their stare down was interrupted by a groan from Jason, who dropped to his knees.

"Honey," Helen said in concern, kneeling next to him.

"Ribs," Jason managed to gasp.

"Get in the car. I'm taking you to the hospital," Helen told him.

"No!" Jason tried to stand again, but found that he couldn't. Zedd was immediately at the teen's side. _Jaytrax, don't act this way_, he thought to himself.

"You're listening to your mother," he stated out loud. Jason couldn't help the laugh of disbelief. Lord Zedd, the Monarch of Evil, the guy who had been trying to kill him and his friends for months, was telling him to listen to his mother. _This is ridiculous_, he thought to himself. Helen and Zedd helped the boy up and then got into Helen's car, and then drove to the Angel Grove Community Hospital. On the way there, Zedd changed his appearance to a more human visage. When they got there, the two helped the boy into hospital.

"Whoa. What happened?" a nurse asked.

"Some guys broke into the house and-" Zedd cut Jason's lie off with a nudge.

"My husband beat him up. I can't believe I didn't see this," Helen told them.

"Ma'am, this wasn't your fault. Let's just get him into an examination room," the nurse assured, and the three led Jason into one of the rooms.

"I'll see if I can get a doctor to be right with you," the nurse promised.

"Thank you," Helen said, and the nurse walked out. "And what was that all about, Jason Lee Scott?" Zedd bit back a laugh at the chagrined look on his son's face.

"Sorry. Force of habit," he apologized.

"He made you lie for him?" she asked.

"Mom, it's nothing. I mean…" Jason trailed off. Why was he making excuses for the creep? Then, before any of them could say anything, a man came in.

"I'm Dr. Sterling," he introduced himself. "What am I looking at?" Helen explained everything that had happened. The man frowned as he began to carefully peruse Jason's body. The boy winced as the man touched his cracked rib. "Ooooh. That's not good. I believe we're going to have to take some x-rays." He had Jason take off his shirt. He stared at the bruises adorning the boy's body with surprised eyes. Helen gasped and placed a hand over her mouth, and Zedd's eyes flashed angrily. That **human** had done this to his son? When the x-rays were done, Jason was given a thorough physical. Zedd's hand clenched into a fist as he heard his son go into incredible detail of the abuse his human father had put him through. Glancing at the boy's mother, he saw the same fury mirrored in her eyes.

"So, what's our next move?" Helen asked.

"We'll have to talk to the police and tell them about what happened," Dr. Sterling answered.

"That won't be necessary," a voice told them. The four turned around to see a police officer.

"What do you mean?" Dr. Sterling questioned.

"I'm Officer Parker. Neighbor found the body of Rick Scott in the living room, and then called us," the officer stated.

"Of course. Why bother calling it in when it's actually going down?" Jason muttered. His mother pushed his shoulder.

"You watch your tone, mister," she scolded.

"Sorry," he apologized.

"Someone want to tell me what happened?" Officer Parker asked. Jason explained the events, stating that his mom had called a family friend, Zachariah, for help. The officer nodded and wrote something down. When he was done with their statements, he looked at them.

"I wouldn't worry about anything. Sounds like an open and shut case of self-defense," he told them and then left. Jason blew out a breath and ran his fingers through his hair.

"What are you thinking, honey?" Helen queried. _Yes, what __**are**__ you thinking, Jaytrax?_ Zedd added silently.

"That I can't believe I was so stupid as to not tell you," Jason answered.

"Hey, I don't want to hear that," Helen responded.

"Your mother's right. This wasn't your fault," Dr. Sterling said. _Yeah, keep telling me that. Maybe I'll start believing it_, Jason thought to himself. After the papers and reports were all filed, the trio got into the car.

"Man, what a day," Jason muttered, rubbing his head. Why couldn't things just be simple?

"You look like you could use some rest," Helen stated.

"Yes, quite right," Zedd agreed. She whipped her head towards him.

"And don't think I don't know who you are…**Zedd**," she emphasized. Zedd and Jason's jaw dropped. She knew who he was? "I watch the news, and I've seen Jason's sketches," she continued. _Oh, crap_, Jason thought to himself. Why hadn't he been more careful? As if sensing the thought, she turned to him. "Besides honey, did you honestly think I could wash blood out of your clothes for a year and a half and not figure it out?" Jason nervously rubbed the back of his head. _Well, I guess that's that for me_, he thought to himself. Zordon was going to have his hide. Zedd stared at the boy, wondering what he was thinking. When they got home, Jason got out of the car and headed for the house. Then, Zedd went back to the Lunar Palace as the boy went up to his room and shut the door.

"Zordon, I've got a problem," Jason told him. "I, uh, I scr-" he began to say.

"Red Ranger, I witnessed the conversation between you and your mother on the viewing globe. You did not intentionally give your identity away," Zordon interrupted.

"Right," Jason nodded.

"However, Red Ranger, I am requesting that you come to the Command Center," Zordon said. Jason did as he was told.

"What's up?" he questioned.

"Red Ranger…Jason…Alpha and I witnessed your trip to the hospital via the viewing globe. We know about the abuse," Zordon announced.


	10. Chapter 10

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Kellybird: Read on and see. Yeah, seriously. Oh, I'm sorry you had to go through that. Please tell me if something isn't being done tastefully or with the proper respect.

Lavendermystic: Yeah. Yep. We'll see. Yep. I'll see what I can come up with.

Jeremy Shane: Thanks, here's more.

DISCLAIMER

Power Rangers belongs to Haim Saban and Nickelodeon.

Jason blew out a breath and raked his hair with his fingers.

"Damn," he muttered. Then, "Sorry, Zordon."

"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi! Jason why didn't you tell us what was going on?" Alpha queried.

"Because I was the leader, and how could I expect them to follow me if they knew I was getting the cr-heck beat out of me?" Jason responded. He remembered what punishment he had gotten the last time he cussed in the Command Center: cleaning all the zords from top to bottom for a week.

"Jason, your situation at home wouldn't have reflected your ability to lead the Rangers," Alpha told him.

"Oh, come on, Alpha! I face monsters daily, but can't even defend myself against my father?" Jason responded. "Oh, yeah. That's great leadership potential right there." Alpha let out a sigh.

"Jason, the two situations are completely different. You should've sought help," Zordon said.

"He would've killed Mom!" Jason protested. "And…I wasn't sure how she was gonna react. I didn't-I didn't know she was gonna be supportive." And he hadn't. For so long, he had been afraid that she wouldn't believe him or take his father's side. He paced back and forth. "And I still have to deal with this stupid "Kevlan Growth Spurt" stuff to deal with. And being Zedd's son-uh-what if he tries to use me against you? I mean, this would be the perfect the opportunity for him to make his move," he continued. Alpha and Zordon fell silent. They hadn't realized that Jason was feeling this way. _Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi! Poor Jason! He must be feeling so overwhelmed!_ Alpha thought to himself. "Well, I'm not gonna let it happen! If Zedd thinks he can use me to destroy you guys, he's wrong! I won't let it happen!" As the Red Ranger said this, fire began to form on his hands.

"Jason, calm down," Alpha said.

"I mean, it would make sense! He's seen me at my most vulnerable, and he now knows where the Command Center is! He could use either fact against us!" Jason exclaimed, not seeming to hear the robot. The flames grew higher.

"Jason, your manifesting powers are obviously tied to your emotions. I must advise you to calm down," Zordon stated firmly.

"Calm down! Calm **down**! No, I'm not gonna-" The fire lengthened, hitting a console and Alpha quickly pushed him back and then placed him in a transparent force field. Then, he brought forth a fire extinguisher and put out the flames. Jason panted. _Oh, man. What did I just do?_ he wondered. He could've destroyed the Command Center with one blow, all because he was too hardheaded to listen to Zordon and Alpha. Then, he went into a breathing exercise an old Martial Arts instructor had taught him. Alpha and Zordon looked at the Red Ranger in concern. When he finally appeared to be calm, they removed the force field.

"Sorry, Zordon," Jason apologized. "But what am I going to do? I can't be on the team if I'm just going to put everybody in danger," he pointed out.

"Jason, these powers do not put you as a liability to the team. You must only learn to harness your powers, and then you'll be a stronger and better Ranger," Zordon told him.

"And who's going to teach me?" Jason wondered.

"The best option would be Zedd," Alpha told him. Jason stared at him.

"Alpha, did I do something to your wiring just now, or have you forgotten who we're fighting here?" he queried.

"Yes, yes, I know Zedd's still trying to take over the world, but he's the only one near Earth who would be able to help you harness your energies," Alpha replied.

"I don't believe this," Jason muttered.

"Jason, I understand your misgivings, but Alpha is correct. I do not possess enough knowledge about the Kevlan customs to properly train you, and Zedd is the closest being near the Earth," Zordon agreed. _So now I have to trust the guy that's been trying to kill me for a year and a half. That's just perfect_, Jason thought to himself. What was he supposed to do? Yeah, Zedd had saved him from his father, but that didn't mean anything. It was probably just one of his mind games, or a preparation for a physical attack like he had often done to Tommy.

"Jason?" Alpha asked, causing the Red Ranger to realize that he had been silent for several minutes.

"No," he said.

"No?" Alpha asked. _What does he mean? He has to learn to harness his powers_, the robot thought to himself.

"No, I won't be trained by him. Zordon, I can't take the risk of Zedd trying to brainwash me. We'd be playing right into his hands if we did this," Jason continued.

"Of course, I cannot force you to accept training from Zedd, Jason, but you **must** be trained," Zordon responded. Jason nodded.

"I understand," he stated. Then, "Can I go?" Zordon nodded and the boy teleported back to his room.

"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi! Zordon, is it possible that Jason's right to be concerned?" Alpha queried. "After all, Zedd's been trying to kill them all for about a year now," he continued.

"Though Zedd desires to conquer Earth, I highly doubt he would risk his son's life to do so," Zordon answered.

"But could he brainwash him?" Alpha pressed.

"Even with his personality, I do not see Zedd taking such a course of action," Zordon replied. Alpha nodded. Zordon knew Zedd's mannerisms better than he and the Rangers did. The robot turned to the viewing globe. At his house, Jason looked around his room and sighed. _What am I supposed to do?_ he wondered. Just then, he heard a knock on his door and opened the entryway to see his mother in the doorway.

"How you holding up, kiddo?" she asked. Jason just shrugged.

"I'm holding," he answered. "I have to admit though, I wasn't expecting you to say that you knew that I was the Red Ranger," he continued.

"Well, when you never said anything outright, I assumed that you were told to keep your identity secret, so I didn't press it," she told him. "I imagine that your friends are also Rangers as well." He nodded and his eyes clouded. "Honey, what is it?"

"Well, you know that thing that came to the hospital with us-"

"Zedd?"

"Right, Zedd. Uh, well, according to him and Zordon, he's um-uh-"

"Spit it out, honey."

"Uh, apparently, I'm Zedd's son." Helen stared at her son. _I wasn't expecting that_, she thought to herself.

"How did this happen?" Jason gave his mother the explanation that Zordon had given him and the other Rangers and what was happening to him with the fire.

"That's pretty heavy."

"Yeah, I know." He sighed. "So, what do I do? I mean, Zordon says I should train with him because he's the only one close enough with the proper knowledge to help me harness these powers, but that would just give him a chance to brainwash me and I don't want to take that chance." Helen sighed.

"I get your anxiety, I do. But you didn't see him, Jason. He was worried about you-and ready to kill Rick. This is going to sound strange, but I think you should let him train you," she responded.

"It doesn't make sense. Why would he be worried? I mean, he's the monarch of evil."

"I can't answer that, Jason. I just know what I saw." Jason fell silent and his eyes clouded.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Updates may be slow because I've hit writer's block.


	11. Chapter 11

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS.

Leslieah: Thanks, I'm glad you like it.

Kellybird: Thanks, I'm glad you like it. I'm working on it. I'll take that into consideration.

Brankell: Thanks.

Jeremy Shane: Thanks, here's more.

Kinded Isa: Thanks, I'm glad you like it, man. Well, I'm getting there, but now I'm sick. Thank you, and yeah…I tend to torture my favorite characters.

DISCLAIMER

Power Rangers belongs to Haim Saban and Nickelodeon. This is really just a filler chap, but at least it's something.

What no one knew, was that on the moon, Zedd had witnessed the whole conversation between Jason and his mother. His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. He couldn't believe he had finally found his son. _And he's just about the age where his training would start_, he thought to himself. Hearing footsteps approaching, he turned around to see Goldar.

"Sire, you have not attacked the Rangers for some time. Are you not feeling well, or do you have something even more extremely evil in mind?" the griffin asked. Zedd's body blazed with red fury. He hadn't forgotten his minion's disobedience.

"Listen well, Goldar. You are to stay in the palace, and **not** engage the Rangers!"

"But Sire!"

"I have my own plan and I do not need you messing things up like you always do!" Goldar laughed.

"Yes, Sire," he replied. _Well, at least he's back to his evil self_, he thought. And Lord Zedd must've had something deliciously nasty in mind if he was taking this long to put his plan in motion. Zedd turned away from Goldar and refocused his attention on Earth. His gaze turned to the Scott house where he saw that his son and his mother were conversing. The young teen rubbed the side of his neck, a habit of his that Zedd had noticed over the last year. He zoomed in closer.

"I don't know, Mom. So much has happened," he heard Jason say.

"Jason, honey, I wish I knew how to help you," the woman sighed. "Perhaps if you were to see someone-"

"No!" Jason interrupted. "There is no way I'm letting this get out!" he continued as he began to pace.

"Jason, you have to talk about this," his mother persisted. Zedd nodded. Yes, that sounded like a wise course of action. After all, he couldn't train the boy if his head was all amuck.

"Oh, no," the Red Ranger responded with a nervous chuckle. "There is no way I'm going to let the whole town find out that I let myself get used for a punching bag and his sick pleasure."

"'Let him'? I seriously doubt you let him." Zedd watched as Jason averted his gaze. _Jaytrax, just what did that human do to your spirit?_ he wondered. He had never seen him like this. Not even when he was grieving the loss of his friend's green Ranger powers.

"Mom, I-I can't tell."

"Jason-"

"NO! It's not happening!" With that, he stomped out of the house and headed for Ernie's Gym and Juice Bar. When he got there, he went straight for the punching bag. He let out a kick. Then a punch. _Rick backhanded Jason, knocking the boy to the ground._ Jason let out a side kick. _Jason struggled under his father's weight, and was pinned to the shed wall_.

_"Stay still," the man growled. _ The kicks and punches came faster and harder as unbidden, the memories came flooding back. _Jason curled into a ball, trying to protect himself as much as possible as his father kicked him._

_ "You're useless! So pathetic!" the man shouted._ PUNCH! KICK! PUNCH! _Jason tried to get away from his father, but the man just tightened his grip and trailed kisses on the boy's neck. Jason's throat muscles constricted._ PUNCH! PUNCH! PUNCH! The sounds reverberated throughout the establishment, drawing surprised stares from the other people in the establishment.

"Whoa. I've never seen him like this," a boy commented in a low tone. One of the teens working for Ernie, a boy named Richie, left the counter and approached him.

"Hey, Jase," he said. However, the other boy didn't give out any indication that he had heard his friend and just continued beating the punching bag. "Jason," Richie said a bit louder, putting his hand on the boy's shoulder. To his surprise, Jason whirled twisted away from the bag, knocking Richie over his shoulders.

"Whoa, Jason, chill! It's just me!" Richie exclaimed, blocking the other boy's punch.

"Richie?" Jason asked in surprise. "Aw, man! I'm sorry, Bro," he apologized, helping his friend to his feet.

"Now for the stupid question: is something wrong?" Jason let out a brief smile.

"It's nothing. I've just got a lot on my mind." Then, he hurried out of the youth center. Once he reached the park, he stopped by a tree and leaned back. _Man, I can't believe I lost it back there!_ he berated himself. He had to be careful. The last thing he wanted was for the whole town to find out what his father had done. It was bad enough his mother, Zordon, Alpha knew. And he **still** wasn't entirely convinced that Zedd wasn't planning to use this situation against him. _Man, I can't just sit here. There's gotta be something I can do_, Jason thought to himself. Then, he blew out a breath and his eyes clouded.


	12. Chapter 12

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

May1331: Cool. Thanks. Yeah, I thought it'd be a nice twist. Thanks. Here's more.

Kellybird: Yeah. Exactly. Lol, true.

Jeremy Shane: Thanks, here's more. I finally, saw the ep from Friday. Oh, I know. She's aged really well.

Audiochick: Yeah, me too and **I**'**m** the one doing it to him. Yes, he does.

DISCLAIMER

Power Rangers belongs to Haim Saban and Nickelodeon. I only own the plot. Bold is telepathic speak. I'm trying to finish this before I go back to school in about a week or so, so I'm putting "How It Should've Been" on the back burner.

It was several minutes later when Jason finally left his spot in the park. However, instead of going home, he opted instead to jog through the Angel Grove Woods. As he made his way through the path, he blew out a breath. He still didn't know what to do. It was just too much. The death of his father-really no loss there-, finding out that Zedd was his biological father, finding out he was an alien…it all boggled the mind. _What do I do? I mean, Zordon __**is**__ right. I need to learn how to harness the powers that are growing inside of me. But why does it have to be Zedd?_ he wondered. He let out a sigh. There was a rustling and he turned around.

"Who's there?" he asked. His eyes narrowed as he silently perused his surroundings. When he didn't see anything, he resumed jogging. The rustling came again. _Okay, now I __**know**__ someone's here_, Jason thought to himself. "Show yourself," he ordered. Something darted through the bushes and Jason covered his face with a hand and shook his head in exasperation. _A rabbit. I let myself get rattled by a rabbit. I'm losing it_, he thought to himself. With a mental sigh, he once more continued his jog unaware that he was being watched by Zordon and Alpha as well as Zedd.

"Ai-yi-yi. Poor Jason. This has got to be so hard for him, Zordon," Alpha said.

"Yes, but hopefully he'll allow Zedd to help and train him before the rest of his powers manifest themselves," Zordon commented. In the woods, Jason smiled as he heard birds chirping and other forest sounds. Suddenly, everything became louder. He groaned in pain, covering his ears. _What the heck?_ he wondered. On the moon, Zedd winced internally. _Oooh, I remember how much suddenly getting the super-hearing hurt. I thought my eardrums were going to explode_, he recalled. The sounds became louder and louder until they were almost deafening. He dropped to his knees. _Too loud! Too loud!_ he thought. He looked around the forest, and to his surprise, everything was in a reddish tint. He looked at a tree that way far away, and when he focused on it, he was surprised when it suddenly appeared closer than it really was. _What's going on? Is this the powers again?_ he wondered.

"Hey. Are you okay?" he heard an echoing voice asked. He just groaned. "Hey, kid! Are you okay?" the voice asked again, louder. He winced. Lightning crackled and Jason heard the person scream and pounding footsteps reached his ears. The footsteps faded. **Jaytrax?** a soft voice queried. Jason couldn't believe it. It was Zedd! **Loud. Everything is loud**, Jason whimpered. **I know. I'm going to take you somewhere where you won't hear anything**, Zedd continued, sounding surprisingly gentle. Then, they disappeared and then rematerialized in a dark room.

"Where are we?" Jason asked sharply, quickly scrambling to his feet. Then, "Hey. The sounds are gone."

"Yes. This room was created for me by my father when I started experiencing my growth spurt," Zedd responded. Jason sighed.

"And so you brought me here," he said.

"Yes," came the reply.

"And I suppose this is where the brainwashing starts?" Jason bit off. "You take me to a place where no one-not even Zordon- can reach me, help me harness the powers, twist my mind until I believe and do everything you say, and then unleash me on the others." Zedd suppressed the urge to sigh. _Dang teenagers. They think they know everything_, he thought to himself.

"I'm going to say this once and only once, so you listen up," he began. "Yes, I want to train you so you can control your powers, but I would **never** hurt you."

"And what do you call mind-warping Tommy to get the Sword Of Power?" Zedd winced internally. Okay, that was fair. "You act like you care about me, but I don't buy it! You're the monarch of evil! You'd just as soon as kill us before you'd help us!" As Jason yelled, Zedd became aware that his hands were once again becoming enflamed. _Well, now's a perfect time as any to train the boy_, he thought. He laughed.

"So, you figured me out, eh, Red Ranger? Try and stop me…if you think you can!" Jason's eyes darkened and he threw a flame at Zedd, who dodged it. "Is that the best you can do, boy? You're pathetic." Jason's throat muscles constricted. _Pathetic? I'll show him pathetic!_ he thought to himself and once again threw the fire at Zedd. He was going to destroy Zedd if it was the last thing he did. He continued to lobby the fire at Zedd who continually dodged the attacks using his own powers and even threw in some assaults of his own, forcing the Ranger to block. Soon, the throws were no longer erratic, but controlled and methodical. _Good, good. That's it_, Zedd thought to himself. When he finally stopped Jason, the boy was panting laboriously.

"Good work. You did very well," Zedd told him.

"This-you-" Jason didn't seem to know what to say. Zedd had baited him so that he could learn how to control his powers? "That is one strange mind game," he finally muttered, feeling sheepish. _I can't believe I let him get to me_, he thought to himself.

"I'm sorry. It just seemed to be the best way to get you to work on your powers," Zedd quickly apologized. Jason threw a half-hearted ball of fire at Zedd.

"So, why did all of my senses go haywire?" he wondered.

"Kevlans have very acute senses, and when they strengthen, the process is often painful," the being explained.

"I'll second that," Jason grumbled.

"I'll go let Zordon know where you are," Zedd said. Then, he disappeared. Once he was back on the moon, Zedd opened up a communication link with Zordon.

"Yes, Zedd?" Zordon asked.

"Jaytrax's senses amplified, causing him extreme distress, so I teleported him to a quiet room that is sound proof and is unharmed, though I think a bit angry with me," Zedd told him.

"What did you do?" Zordon asked.

"I pretended that I was going to intended to brainwash him into destroying the others so that he'd learn to harness his powers," Zedd responded.

"You always have to do everything the hard way, don't you?" Zordon queried. If he could, he would've shaken his head at the man.

"Well, it worked," Zedd shrugged. _And this way, he was able to let off some steam_, he added to himself. Meanwhile, on Earth, the other Rangers were hanging out at Ernie's Gym And Juice Bar. To everyone else, they were like them: without a care in the world. However, each of the Rangers were mulling over Zordon's news. _There's no way. I mean, come on! Jason as Zedd's son! As if!_ Kimberly huffed as she did a routine on the balance beam. _There's no way it can be true. Jason would rather die first_, Zack thought while drinking a smoothie. _If Jason really __**is**__ Zedd's son, I won't treat him any differently. But that does beg the question of whether or not Zedd will stop attacking Earth. Surely, he wouldn't try to kill his own offspring. Or would he even care?_ Trini puzzled as she worked her way through a Tai Chi exercise. _Man! I could kill Zedd for messin' with Jase like this! It wasn't bad enough that he had to wreck my psyche, now he's movin' on to my best friend!_ Tommy thought as he viciously pummeled the punching bag. _This is a truly disturbing predicament. On the off-chance that Jason truly __**is**__ Zedd's missing offspring, do I treat him as I always have, or will I be forced to view him as an enemy?_ Billy wondered. Each of the Rangers frowned as they continued to ponder their thoughts. Meanwhile, what no one knew was that a creature whose body was mostly orange, with hints of black and rustic red was travelling through space towards Earth. _Look out, Zedd. I have big plans for you_, he thought to himself, and chuckled cruelly, his yellow eyes shining brightly.


	13. Chapter 13

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Kellybird: Thanks. I'm glad you liked that. Yep. Here you go. Sorry it's not soon enough.

Jeremy Shane: Thanks, here's more.

Brankell: Thanks.

Audiochick: Yep, he is. Nope, he didn't. Yeah, they do. We'll see. As Kimberly said in "Lions And Blizzards", "Don't even mention such a horror". Read on and see.

May1331: Thanks. Yeah, I like to be weird. Read on and see.

DISCLAIMER

Power Rangers belong to Haim Saban and Nickelodeon. I only own the plot.

In the Command Center, the alarms blared shrilly.

"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi! Sensors have picked up the bio-signature of a strange creature that's heading directly for Earth at an extreme speed! At this rate, he'll reach Earth in about ten minutes!" Alpha exclaimed.

"Bring it up on the viewing globe," Zordon instructed. The robot did so. Zordon's eyes darkened.

"Contact Zedd at once," he ordered.

"Zordon, what is it?" Alpha asked.

"That is the same creature that kidnapped Jaytrax," Zordon replied.

"Oh, my," Alpha said. "Yes, I'll contact him right away," the robot continued and pressed some coordinates. Soon, Zedd's face appeared in the viewing globe.

"What's the matter, Zordon? Did you miss me?" he asked snidely.

"Our scanners detected a being heading for Earth. We brought it up on the viewing globe and have discovered that it is the same creature that kidnapped Jaytrax," came the reply. They watched as Zedd's body shone with red fury.

"That thing **dares** to approach Earth?" he asked. "Oh, not on my watch. Call your Rangers. I may need help." He cut off the transmission.

"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi! Working with Zedd! What has the galaxy come to?" Alpha wondered as he pressed a button on the console. Hearing the summons, the Rangers immediately halted their activities and convened in the halls of the youth center's entrance.

"What's up, Zordon?" Tommy queried.

"Report to the Command Center immediately," Zordon instructed.

"What about Jason? He's not with us," Kimberly stated.

"He is somewhere safe, but the situation regards him," Zordon replied.

"Oh, man. Zedd must've done something to him," Zack surmised.

"In that case, we should teleport immediately," Billy suggested.

"Right," Trini agreed. After a furtive glance to make sure they were in the clear, the Rangers teleported to the Command Center.

"What's going on?" Zack wondered.

"What's Zedd up to?" Trini added.

"Where's Jason?" Kimberly asked.

"Is he all right?" Tommy questioned at the same time.

"Rangers, we said he was safe," Alpha reminded them.

"But Zedd could use the fact that he thinks Jason's his son to his advantage," Trini pointed out.

"Ai-yi-yi-yi! Settle down, Rangers. Zedd isn't the reason we called you," Alpha told them.

"What do you mean?" Zack questioned.

"A creature that Zedd and I faced long ago is heading towards Earth," Zordon told them.

"What do you mean you and Zedd faced this creature?" Kimberly wondered.

"It is the same creature that kidnapped Jason as a baby," Zordon answered.

"Oh, man," they sighed.

"So how do we stop this thing?" Zack queried.

"I am uncertain, Rangers. As I recall, this creature was extremely powerful," Zordon replied.

"Well, we can at least slow him down," Tommy determined.

"Right," the others nodded.

"It's morphin' time!" Tommy shouted. "Tigerzord!"

"Mastodon!"

"Pterodactyl!"

"Triceratops!"

"Saber-toothed Tiger!" Once morphed, they landed in Angel Grove just as the creature landed in the park. It laughed and charged them. Meanwhile, in the room Zedd had placed him in Jason had grown bored and had started practicing using the fire powers. He snapped his fingers and fire appeared at the tips. _I feel like Pyro from X-Men_, he thought. Then, _That doesn't make me a villain, does it?_ Jason shook his head. Him and his short attention span. Back on Earth, the creature pulled out a sword and the Rangers pulled out their weapons. Zedd watched the fight through narrowed eyes.

"Goldar! Get down there and help them!" he ordered. The griffin's eyes widened.

"WHAT?" he asked incredulously. **Help** the Power Rangers? Had Zedd lost it?

"Did you not hear me, Goldar?" Zedd asked.

"But Sire, they are enemies, we should be helping this creature," Goldar pointed out.

"That creature kidnapped my son, and it could hurt those teens, his friends. So get down and HELP THEM!" Zedd roared. Goldar disappeared in a flash of smoke. In the park, the White Ranger had been knocked down and was currently being pinned to the ground by the creature.

"Did you pathetic humans really think you could defeat Darkonda?" the creature laughed. Darkonda raised his sword and-was knocked back by an energy bolt. The White Ranger quickly rolled out of the line of fire and jumped to his feet. _Now this is a fight_, he thought to himself.

"No one destroys the White Ranger but me," Goldar sneered.

"Then I'll destroy you all," Darkonda declared. His sword glowed and he thrust it at the others.

"WATCH IT!" the Rangers and Goldar jumped out of the way. The Pink Ranger fired her Power Bow which struck Darkonda on the shoulder, very close to the neck. _Have to admit, that's a pretty good shot_, Goldar thought. Darkonda growled and lunged himself at her, knocking her to the ground.

"KIM!" the White Ranger jumped through the air and tackled Darkonda, giving his girlfriend a chance to climb to her feet. Darkonda threw the White Ranger over his shoulders and pinned him to the ground with a foot. Then, he drew energy from his sword and blasted Goldar and the other Rangers with it. In the room, Jason had begun a kata. Suddenly, searing pain ran through his head.

"Oh!" With a groan he dropped to his knees. _A strange creature had the White Ranger pinned to the ground. The White Ranger struggled underneath him._

_"Saba…help," he said. The sword floated in the air and shot lasers out of his eyes. __However, the creature's sword deflected the blast, knocking Saba to the ground. Then, the creature cackled and brought his sword down with a swift thrust._

"TO-O-O-O-O-O-OMY!"


	14. Chapter 14

DISCLAIMER

Power Rangers belong to Haim Saban and Nickelodeon. I only own the plot. I use a line from the Buffy, The Vampire Slayer episode "School Hard" and thus belongs to Joss Whedon and whoever else is affiliated with the show.

The White Ranger struggled under Darkonda's foot while Goldar and the rest of the Rangers fought some type of rock creatures that the monster had brought with them. Darkonda laughed as he bared down his sword. Suddenly, Jason appeared in the park in a mixture of black and red particles! _Teleportation? We haven't gained that power for five thousand years_, Zedd thought in surprise.

"Huh?" The interruption proved to be just the opening the White Ranger needed. He shifted his weight, knocking Darkonda off balance.

"Tyrannosaurus!" Instantly, Jason was in his Red Ranger suit. Then, he pulled out his Power Sword. _Man, that is some kind of ugly_, he thought to himself. And they had seen ugly.

"So…the little brat I snatched is a Power Ranger, eh?" Darkonda cackled. "That'll make your destruction all the sweeter!" With that, he lunged at the Red Ranger, who barely had time to jump out of the way. Then, he bombarded Darkonda with a volley of fire bolts. "Looks like somebody's been practicing," Darkonda smirked. "But it won't save you or your friends!" With that, he thrust energy bolts from his sword and hands. The Red Ranger jumped back in alarm. How was he supposed to protect himself and his friends from a double attack like this? **Jaytrax, use your instincts**, he heard Zedd say. The Red Ranger inhaled and exhaled slowly, and then let himself move almost unconsciously. Darkonda roared in anger as the Red Ranger continually dodged his assaults, and fired on him with his own attacks. Jason fired his helmets lasers and then jumped through the air, Power Sword drawn and struck Darkonda. On the moon, Zedd found himself watching with interest as the fire attacks became more and more frequent and larger and larger.

"YES! HE'S DOING IT! HE'S TAPPING INTO HIS POWERS!" he celebrated. _I think it's time I joined this little melee_, he thought to himself and transported himself down to Earth. In the Command Center, Zordon and Alpha watched the unfolding events with some trepidation.

"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi! Watch out, Jason!" Alpha as Darkonda attacked him again. _Wow. He certainly has taken to his powers_, Alpha thought to himself. The Rangers, Zedd, and Goldar pointed their weapons at the creatures helping Darkonda, and together, they fired, the Black Ranger using the Cannon on the Power Ax, the Pink Ranger shooting off her arrows, the White, Blue, and Yellow Rangers lashing out with their Sword, Lance, and Daggers respectively. Within seconds, the creatures had disintegrated. While this was happening, Darkonda continued his attacks against the Red Ranger, drawing him away from his friends. The creature grabbed him and then tossed him against a tree and blasting him before he could get his bearings, causing the Ranger to demorph.

"Jason!" the White Ranger exclaimed. At this, the others in the group turned to him.

"You…are finished, Brat," Darkonda cackled, brandishing his sword. Jason let out a pained, shaky breath. _Rick loomed over Jason, brandishing his belt._

"_No…Dad…please…"_ Jason put a hand out in an attempt to protect himself. Darkonda let out another cackle. Then, he screamed in agony as electricity suddenly surrounded him.

"You get the hell away from my son," Zedd growled as the other Rangers ran to him and helped him up. Goldar's eyes widened. _**Son**__? The Red Ranger is…Jaytrax?_ he silently queried as he stiffened. His sire's actions now made sense. And he had attacked him! _I'm surprised he didn't destroy me_, Goldar thought. Whether they were good or evil, Kevlans were notorious for their fierce protectiveness of their family. Darkonda turned around.

"You got what you deserved, Zedd! You double-crossed me!" he told him. This proved to be the wrong thing to say, for it only resulted in Zedd increasing the voltage from his staff. With a final cry, Darkonda fell to the ground and exploded. Jason carefully climbed to his feet as the others demorphed.

"Jase, you okay, Bro?" Tommy asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," Jason answered with a shaky breath.

"What happened? You look like you went someplace else," Trini noted.

"That's because I did," Jason responded.

"What?" the others asked. Jason let out a sigh, ran his fingers through his hair, and then proceeded to tell his friends everything.


	15. Chapter 15

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Kellybird: Thanks, I'm glad you think so. Yes, he did. Thanks. Hope this is soon enough.

Brankell: Thanks. Here you go.

May1331: Thanks. Yes, he is. Yeah, it was good. Here's more. Good, that's what it was supposed to be. Thank you.

Jeremy Shane: Thanks, here's more.

DISCLAIMER

Power Rangers belong to Haim Saban and Nickelodeon. I only own the plot. For this, I'm making believe that Jason, Zack, and Trini weren't just teleported away after the Power Transfer.

A FEW WEEKS LATER

Jason finished putting his clothes into a suitcase. He blew out a breath and then ran his fingers through his hair. There was a knock on his door.

"Come in," he called. The door opened to reveal Tommy, Kimberly, Billy, Trini, Zack, Rocky, Adam, and Aisha.

"Hey, guys," Jason greeted.

"Looks like you're just about finished packing," Zack commented.

"Yeah, I am," Jason nodded.

"I wish you guys didn't have to go. I'm going to miss you," Kimberly frowned.

"We'll miss you too, Sis," Jason responded. "But truthfully, the Peace Conference couldn't have come at a better time. I mean, this way, I can just…get away from it all, give myself a chance to think," he continued. _And boy, do I have a lot to think about_, he thought to himself.

"What about your therapy sessions?" Billy asked.

"I'm going to see if I can find someone in Switzerland," Jason answered.

"And we'll hold him to that," Trini assured.

"Yeah, we'll drag him kicking and screaming if we have to," Zack added.

"Wouldn't be the first time," Kimberly joked, and they all laughed.

"You know, I just can't believe that Zedd's now making plans to leave the Alliance," Tommy commented.

"Oh, I know. That's going to be so weird," Kimberly stated. They had been fighting him so long, she couldn't imagine battling anybody else, though she supposed it could happen. After all, she had never thought that there would be anybody worse than Rita.

"Well, first, he has to wait for someone else to try to attack Earth," Billy reminded them.

"Hopefully, that won't take too long," Jason mused. Then, "So, I saw the news. You three did really well."

"Thanks," the new Rangers chorused.

"I just can't believe you're that freak's son," Rocky said, and then groaned as Aisha elbowed him in the side. "Sorry," he apologized.

"That's okay. I didn't react too well when I first found out either," Jason chuckled. Helen came into the doorway.

"Hey, Jason. You all packed?" she queried.

"Almost," he answered.

"I do have to say it's gonna be weird not seeing you on the news, honey," she told him. After coming clean about his father's abuse, Jason had also told the others that his mother had figured out that he was the Red Ranger, which led to the decision that the others would reveal their identities to the woman as well.

"Hey, at least you won't have to worry about me getting killed," Jason reminded.

"No, I just have to worry about my baby being on the other side of the world," Helen responded.

"Oh, boy," Jason sighed, and his friends laughed.

"So, what are your plans for today?" Helen asked.

"Hang out at the park, play some b-ball. Nothin' major," Jason answered.

"Yeah, we wanted to spend one last day together before they had to leave," Kimberly added.

"Okay, well, you can finish packing later. Go spend time with your friends, Sweetie," Helen told him.

"You sure?" Jason asked.

"Go!" Helen insisted. With that, the teens all left the house, got into their cars, and headed for the park.

"You three wait right here," Kimberly told them once they arrived at their destination. She and Tommy stood in front of them as the others headed out past them.

"What?" Zack and Trini asked.

"Just do it," Tommy insisted.

"Kimberly Ann Hart and Thomas Joseph Oliver, just what did you plan?" Jason demanded.

"Just you wait, Jason Lee Scott," Kimberly retorted. Jason gave her a mock-glare.

"Okay, we're ready!" Aisha called. Only then were Jason, Zack, and Trini allowed to leave the car.

"Surprise!" the other Rangers yelled, revealing a picnic basket.

"You guys! What-" Jason's question died off as the basket was opened to reveal Jason, Zack, and Trini's favorite foods.

"I don't believe this," Trini commented.

"Man this is morphinominal," Zack told them.

"Come on, let's play some b-ball first," Jason suggested. With that, they all spread out into teams and started playing. Soon, the park was filled with the sound of chatter and laughter.

THE END


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